A precise definition of executive function?

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Antrax
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13 Mar 2019, 11:08 pm

I'm sure this has been done before and probably belongs in the off wished for FAQs.

Executive function is one of those jargon terms that gets thrown around a lot on this site. Although from context I think I know what it is, it would be nice to have it precisely defined.


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wrongcitizen
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13 Mar 2019, 11:42 pm

I can't try to define it but one major definition consistency on WP is the ability to do work. Executive function is how much you put aside to do something that results in a consequence in the future and not immediately. We can make the decision to do something but are unable to put that decision to action due to what I assume is a neurological disconnect, or having emotions that are to potent to control enough for long term reward.



SplendidSnail
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13 Mar 2019, 11:42 pm

This page has a decent description:
https://www.understood.org/en/learning- ... e-function


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AceofPens
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14 Mar 2019, 9:14 am

I asked my neuropsychologist what it meant when I was being assessed, and she told me that it was the ability to plan and execute tasks. The definition is broad because executive function is actually a collection of skills. Executive dysfunction can stem from many different problems as a result, from a cognitive inability to fluidly switch between tasks or recognize relationships and generalize, to impaired reasoning skills, motor function, and visual processing. On WP, I've sometimes seen it compared to extreme procrastination, but my own experiences are not akin to that description at all. I think the term is sometimes used inappropriately.


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KingExplosionMurder
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14 Mar 2019, 10:08 am

AceofPens wrote:
I asked my neuropsychologist what it meant when I was being assessed, and she told me that it was the ability to plan and execute tasks. The definition is broad because executive function is actually a collection of skills. Executive dysfunction can stem from many different problems as a result, from a cognitive inability to fluidly switch between tasks or recognize relationships and generalize, to impaired reasoning skills, motor function, and visual processing. On WP, I've sometimes seen it compared to extreme procrastination, but my own experiences are not akin to that description at all. I think the term is sometimes used inappropriately.



That is a very good description. I often have trouble explaining it to my dad and me therapist. I can most definitely differentiate between me procrastinating and me being unable to preform a task because me brain just won't process what I have to do. They're very different things that can unfortunately appear quite similar from an outsider's perspective.